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I am interested in using parchment paper on my baking stone to bake my bread. I purchased some reynolds parchment paper and noticed on the box that it only is oven sage to 420 degrees. I was wondering if there are other parchment papers that withstand higher temperatures? What parchment papers do you use? Also, if I lower the temperature of my oven to 420 how long would I need to bake the bread?

I’ve used several brands, including Reynolds (which works well). I can’t get any of the companies to tell me what happens if you bake the paper at higher than rated temp. Will it catch fire? Is there a health and safety issue? No response. So we’re left with playing it by the book– and telling people to follow manufacturer’s instructions, even though we have no idea as to what, if any, the problem might be. Another paper I’ve used is the Beyond Gourmet brand, on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KUWGDS?ie=UTF8&tag=arbrinfimiada-20&linkCode=wey&camp=212361&creative=380725 and it is rated to 450 degrees F. So is (I believe) another unbleached product, the If You Care brand, which I’ve seen in some supermarkets.

If you lower the heat to 420, try increasing the baking time about 15%; will take some experimentation. Browning may not be as good despite compensating the time. Could try the convection mode if your oven has it, to improve browning, but may need to turn the bread to ensure even browning.

Hey! I wanted to give you a shout-out and a thank-you for your awesome books. I make most of my bread in the 5-minute artisan method, and I share with my blog readers how I do it. I’ve linked to your site several times and I just want you to know how much it has blessed me to be able to do it. Thank you!

It happens that I tried that very idea today using the Reynolds paper. I spread corn meal on the parchment paper, let the dough rise on the paper and popped both into the 450 degree oven. The paper did brown but did not catch fire. The finished bread came right off the paper but
the paper itself is a one shot deal.
I have found that in my oven 35 minutes is needed at 450 for a 200 degree interior temperature in the finished bread.
I use an industrial pizza oven stone.
For what it’s worth,
Greg

“Nudging” the dough off the peel isn’t all that straight forward?
after the “nudging” have yver had the bread bake solidly to the stone? It is not fun to remove.
I thought the parchment worth a try and it works.
Greg

Cast iron works great with our method. Mysterious about that pan, can’t explain it. The only time I need my fan is if cornmeal’s fallen to the bottom of the oven (or is all over a stone). Or when I make pizza at 550F.

I like your book “artisan Bread in Five Minutes” and you web site with print and email tabs. I tried the 100 pc whole wheat master recipe. I usually use a preferment and mostly sourdough starter. I did a small loaf probably less than a pound and followed the recipe I believe as written. The scoring was shallow and tearing. Although I had the oven temp checked by the supplier as OK. Because I was having browning trouble I put the bread and stone on the bottom rack for 20 min with a broiler pan on the next to top rack. I set the oven for 500 and when I put the loaf in I poured in the cu water and set the temp to 450. At 20 min itook out the broiler pan and put the loaf on the top rack minus the parchment. After another 1-0 minutes the bread looked the color of whole wheat. The slashes almost disappeared. I gave it another 10 min checked the bread temp and was too slow getting to 200 deg. when I put the loaf back in it touched something at the top of the oven and the oven turned off but I left it in another 5 min. The crumb looks good lots of 1/8 inch holes and the bread tastes great. If only it wasn’t as flat as it is and had great contrast in color and scoring. Any suggestions? I’ll try to put a cou;le pictures on twitter. Thanks for your book and web site. Herb

I don’t trust the suppliers, check your oven temp with something like http://ow.ly/8CVPU. I find that the crust browns better near the top of the oven, so try the “shelf switch” on page 21 near the bottom.

I liked the video, but what I’m curious is how to get a ball of bread to not settle and flatten out while rising. The bread (rye bread from healthy in 5 minutes) spread and flattened after being formed but before going into the over. After baking it’s only about an inch and a half tall, and we were going for a loaf.

If you shape it as he did, the dough won’t spread as much. Does your dough look to be about the same as what Jeff is working with in the video? Are you using the scoop and sweep method to measure your flour? And, which recipe is it that you are making, which book?

I have had excellent results making healthy artisan bread from your recipes, flavor and texture, but my problem is it doesn’t rise up. It comes out only about 2 inches tall-not a boule shape or a batard but a flatbread. What in the world am I doing wrong? please advise!

In most of the recipes using flax, it is there for the health benefits it provides to many people and the flavor, which many people like, but it is not essential, so you can just omit it. If the dough seems a little too wet, just add a tablespoon or so of extra flour.

Thanks Zoe – that will work for the flax alone but items like the Bobs 10 grain cereal also contain flaxseed. Can we have a substitute for that?

NOTE – flaxseed is NOT a grain(from a grass family) but a SEED so this product has a misleading label as does much of the multigrain bread here in the USA. It is in fact grain and SEED bread as it contains seeds and generally a lot less grain varieties than it is labelled as having.

Sure, you can substitute the Bob’s product for a similar one that doesn’t contain flax, but the dough may need a bit of adjusting if the cereal doesn’t absorb water in the same way. I recommend that you make one of the other non-flax recipes first, so you know what the consistency of the dough should feel like.

It may just be that you’re not letting it cool completely. As the bread cools it releases steam, which will cause the bread to become temporarily soft, but it should crisp up again once it is completely cool. If it isn’t crisping again, then let your loaf bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes the next time.

Hi – I love making the bread from the book and when I shared it with my friend she was game to try but needs a low sodium bread for her spouse. How much salt can I take out of the recipe and still bake a successful loaf? Please give me a hint for the Master Recipe Boule on page 26.

I have tried the extra time and the crust becomes like concrete right out of the oven. However, left overnight it gets soft.
I am fiddling with the hydration to solve the heaviness (small holes) and softening issues. At 78% I still have no progress using “Better for Bread” flour.
I think I’ll try letting the dough rise in the bucket to double, forming it, letting it rise again and then baking it. It seems keeping the dough for days is not conducive to light, airy results.
What are your thoughts?
Greg

Yes, I am using the Master Recipe. Preheat the oven 30 minutes to 450 with oven stone. Oven is GE electric with temp accurate to .011%. For example, set 425, get 418 on stone. Internal bread temp is 200 with crust very brown. Maybe the 450 recommended is too hot?
I have tried the Master Recipe as written, with 85% and with 78% hydration. All of them have been very wet and dense intermally. In all cases the dough (made with 1,000 grams flour) rises to double in about 45 minutes and will reach the lid of the KA bucket overnight. It then collapses never to rise again. There is about 50% oven spring.
Next time I want to pull the dough when double, shape it, let it rise further and then bake it. I hope this will lighten up the interior.
What do you think?
Greg

You are currently refrigerating the dough after the initial rise? How long are you resting the dough once it is shaped? Often times the dough will have a lighter interior crumb if allowed to rest a bit longer. If you’re using a dough with a lower hydration than the original recipe, then you will want to allow for a longer rise.

Well yes, I think 450 is too hot but, you know “book say, must do”. I get the internal temp with one of those chef looking round thermometers on a thin probe about 5 inches long.
The Master recipe tastes great and is consistant but for what I am trying to do I think the rise needs to be taken advantage of earliy on and the oven heat needs to come down to arrive at crusty bread with a light, airy crumb.
If I ever get this figured out I’ll report back. After 5 years of trying I’d suggest you not hold your breath awaiting the post of success.
I must add that the neighbors just love this project as they are my test panel.
Greg

I will be interested to hear how the experiment goes with the lower temperature. I think the increased rising time may help the interior crumb, and a well preheated stone can make a big difference in the crust. If your stone is very thick, they can take up to 45+ minutes to preheat.

Greg,
When you say “The dough stored in the KA bucket in the fridge over night” you are unclear and did not really address Art’s key concern of the dough needing to be “open and airy”. Store it in whatever bucket you want, but if the lid is sealed your dough is doomed. Just make sure you lid is laying loose and open on top and you can check off dough storage as being correctly done.

Zoe, I am amazed at all the problems Mr. Frick is having with your recipies! Now, after the rude comments, I just have to say that every time I have FOLLOWED YOUR RECPIES TO THE LETTER, I have been met with success! Follow directions, people!

Jeff…I made 2 batches of the master recipe, 1 with water and 1 with the whey, as I wanted to compare for a taste difference…however, while the batch made with the water stayed moist on top, the other formed a “skin”…I was wondering if you might have any idea what might have caused this…I pulled it off and worked with it, and I do think that when using the whey I need to add a tad more flour as it seems to be a bit “wetter”…I will update you on taste when I have compared…

The skin that forms on the dough is typically a matter of how the container is covered. It means that air is passing over the dough and causing it to dry a bit. You can just cover the container a bit more.

I’ve baked with whey from my yogurt making and love the results. Enjoy, Zoë

I bought the book, “Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day,” primarily for the gluten free recipes. My child can not eat eggs or dairy, and now we are eliminating gluten as well. I know how to substitute for the dairy, but I was very disappointed when I saw that all of the gluten free recipes call for 4 or 5 eggs…I don’t know how to substitute for eggs in that large quantity. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you.

In general, eggs help prevent the result from being overly wet and gummy– eggs actually dry things out as they cook. But… you can swap eggs for a little water if you don’t like the flax. Then re-adjust based on the result you get. You’re in experimental territory once you completely drop the eggs.

I bought your “Healthy Bread In Five Minutes a Day” primarily for the gluten free recipes. I was very excited to try them, until I saw that they contain so many eggs. My child can not eat gluten, dairy or eggs. I do not know how to substitute for that large quantity of eggs. Do you have any ideas? Thank you.

I have been making & enjoying your breads since seeing the 2 of you speak @ 7 Springs 2 years ago, I’ve recently found out I have gluten sensitivity and sadly have given up the standard bread. I have unsuccessfully made a variety of GF bread recipes…yesterday I tried another with a blend of flour from a vegan restaurant, the dough was like a cookie dough & never rose and it did not brown up nicely…any ideas. Thanks for your help.

I have made bread for years so I know what I’m doing, but having trouble with your recipe. I am making the basic recipe from the first book. The bread just does not brown properly. I have a large 36″ commercial style home oven. Baking stone did not brown the bread at all. Today I used a lidded clay pot with parchment paper and it did come out browner, but still not right. The bread is tasty, just not crusty. I’m using the convection oven and lowered the temp, even baked it longer. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Frustrated! Thanks.

Larger ovens are tough to get browning. Need more steam, use more water. Are you saying that you used to get a brown crust, but now, no? And have you checked your oven temp with a thermometer (don’t trust the digital readout)?

I’ve been making your no-knead recipe for five years, baking it in my home over. Now I’m making it for a small cafe using a commercial convection oven. Do you have any suggestions about temp and time? I’ve been playing around with it, baguettes are 375 for 20 minutes…gets to 200 degrees but the crust doesn’t brown. Thanks so much…J

Three days ago I made the pizza dough on page 73 of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread with ’00’ flour. Today, I cut off an 8 oz. piece, made a ball and tried to stretch it out. I ended up with thick and thin dough and holes appearing everywhere. I managed to make maybe a random sized 6″ – 8″ pizza that baked up thicker than I would have liked but OK. However, the holes while I was trying to stretch it out were kind of crazy making. What did I do wrong?

Sounds like you’re hand-stretching the dough, correct? If so, I’d tell you that doing that takes a lot of practice– while you’re getting the hang of it, use a rolling pin to help you get an even-thickness disk.

2nd possibility is that this ’00’ dough is more fragile than one made with AP flour. Though it’s terrific. If all else fails, decrease the water a bit (2 tablespoons?) and you’ll get a less fragile dough that’s easier to work with.

I am making 24 gluten free rolls. Would you suggest using the crusty boule recipe? I thought to make them in muffin tins. What are your thoughts? Do you feel the 4 pound recipe will be sufficient and can you give me some guidelines on the baking time. Thanks.

Crusty boule in muffin tin would be a good choice. I’d guess you can decrease the baking time by about 20 percent, maybe more. Test your oven temp with something like http://ow.ly/8CVPU, if too hot, the rolls could burn. 2.66 ounces per roll should work well.

I have all 3 of your books and have now been baking bread regularly for the past 4 years!! I now weigh my ingredients and have a question on using other flours. I use KA bread flour for the master recipe should I use the equivalent of 6 1/2 cups (weighs 4 1/2 oz per cup) or should I use 2 lbs which is the weight that you use for AP flour? My dough seems a lot wetter when I weigh 6 1/2 cups and add the extra water. Thanks for your help.

Have you been to the FAQs page about this, see the tab above and click: Flour varieties: Do I need to adjust the liquids when I use different kinds of white flour? Having said that, your experience is surprising– basically the difference is that when we measure out by volume, we get 5.0 ounces, whether it’s AP or bread flour– which explains what you’re seeing. Here’s how we measure by volume, are you doing it differently? http://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/04/28/how-we-measure-our-flour-using-the-scoop-and-sweep-method

If you go to two pounds by weight, you probably will need the extra water, but not if keep doing it by volume and getting 4.5 oz/cup. Should be easy to fix!

The question was really just out of curiosity since I tend to go by feel since I have been making it so long, I was weighing based on the weight as stated on KA website. So I was using about 28 oz of flour and adding the extra water.
Originally I had no problem until I bought new measuring cups and discovered my old ones were way over. My old one weighs a cup at 6 oz and the new ones are dead on at 4 1/2. So when I started weighing it was too wet.

You can bake two or more boules at a time with no adjustment to time or temperature. If you have an insta-read thermometer, you can check for doneness by stabbing the center of a loaf with the thermometer and it’s done when it registers 200 degrees fahrenheit.

In one of your later books, Pizza I believe, you mention that your formulas have evolved to using less yeast now. Have you lowered the yeast quantities in your forthcoming book from the original amounts? Thank you.

Just wanted to say that after seeing so many recipes using bought crescent dough, I made some using the whole wheat brioche, and they are delicious. Our favourite is strawberry jam with cream cheese and up next are some with chocolate chips and banana chunks. Thanks for letting me offer my kids a better alternative that’s just as easy!

I made your master recipe from “Healthy Bread” the other day. I used local, freshly ground flours, a normal all-purpose and a whole wheat bread flour whose protein content is between 12.5 and 13.5%. I used fine sea salt. Because of these unusual ingredients, I added a little extra water and reduced the salt according to your instructions. I stored the dough in glass.

When I went to get my dough, it felt quite moist, even a little drippy. And of course, from the refrigerator, that wet dough was sooo freezing cold (and my fridge isn’t that cold–nothing else in there feels so cold) that it was hard to handle.

Could I solve both these problems with not using extra water? Or is the dough always that cold?

The culprit in the wet dough is the freshly ground flour, it tends to be coarser than commercially ground flour and doesn’t produce as much gluten. You can add less water or add a touch more vital wheat gluten. Had you ever made the dough as it was written, so you have a sense of what the dough should feel like? If not, you may want to watch some of our videos. The dough will be wetter than traditional dough, but you should still be able to handle it with ease. http://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/03/08/new-video-shaping-the-ball-from-a-very-wet-dough If you have any dough left in this batch, you can add a bit more flour to it and let it sit to absorb the extra water, then use as normal.

Some refrigerators run cold. If you suspect this is the case with yours, you can let the dough rest an extra 15 to 20 minutes before baking.

What is the largest batch of the basic dough you have ever made, or heard of being made? Your books say the basic recipe can easily be doubled, but I am wondering about possibly 4-5 times the normal amount.

The reason? I live in a small town in Arkansas and we have kids at our local schools that come in hungry every morning. Some spend all weekend with only a few sparse meals. I want to do something about that.

My plan was to spend an afternoon prepping large batches of the dough, and then an afternoon later in the week baking them. I just wasn’t sure how well your recipes amped up to that level! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

What a wonderful idea. The recipes scale up very well and I recommend using the weights we provide in the new book. For such a large batch, and to feed the public, you may want to work with a church or a community center kitchen that has a large mixer and a kitchen that has been approved by the health inspector. Churches are often a great place for such baking!

I have a bunch of peeled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)that I would like to add to one of the bread doughs. I saw a bread in one of the books (I have all 3 now!!) with sunflower seeds in the dough, and I was thinking I would just swap, however, it has eggs in it and I can’t eat eggs. Any recommendations?

Also, I would like to make cinnamon rolls, and I figure the brioche dough is best for that. Since I don’t eat eggs or dairy, which dough would you suggest I use? Or do you think it would be better to try the brioche with some flax eggs substituted?

One last thing, if I do substitute flax eggs in any of the recipes that call for eggs, do you think it will extend the shelf life of the dough (since many of those doughs say they will keep for 5 days)?

Maybe in your next book you can come up with some egg-free recipes for things like brioche, pannetone, etc 🙂 I will be looking out for that book!

If you haven’t tried Betsy’s seeded loaf from HBin5, that is what I would go with or add them to the Oatmeal Pumpkin bread.

You can make the cinnamon rolls with the master recipe or even the whole grain recipes. They won’t be quite as rich, but still very tasty. You could even add a bit of sugar or honey to the dough, if you want them a little sweeter. If you add honey, you need to reduce the water by the same amount. I would start with 1/2 cup and see if that is sweet enough for your taste.

In order to replace 8 eggs, you’d need quite a bit of flax and you’ll end up having a very strong flavor to the dough. I think you are better off starting with a non-egg dough.